Blue Ram illness/Injury ID

This is not Hole in The Head. Do you notice that his eye is bulging out more than when you first got him? I can't see his right eye, but the left looks like it is bulging,
which would be popeye, in addition to the obvious inflammed lesion on his head.

There are several causes of popeye, most cases occur when there's an internal infection. It can be bacterial, viral, or mycobacterium it is hard to know without swabbing
the ulcer and examining under a microscope, and most of us don't have the equipment or the knowhow to do that, but this definely looks like infection of somekind.

Do you see any areas of redness on any other part of his body? At the base of the dorsal fin, caudal fin, and/or around the pectorals, or the anal vent? Do you see any
splotches on the body or thin red streaks, that look like a red blood vein?

You said a hole has opened up. He's slick and shiney so I can't really see an open crater-like lesion.

Please be very careful handling him, that is to say, with your bare hands. This could be bacterial but Rams are prone to fish TB which is contagious to humans, and usually
enters through a cut or sore, or even dry cracked skin. It may not be, but to be safe, please wash up carefully and don't expose yourself anymore to any thing that comes
from, or has been in the tank.

Can you tell us more about your tank?
How long set up?
What size?
How many occupants and what kinds?
What kind of filtration?
What kind of substrate?
Planted or plastic?
What are the parameters of the tank: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, temperature?
What kind of test kit do you use: strips or liquid test kit?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you remove and replace each time?
What kind of water conditioner do you use?
How do you clean and maintain your filter?
Feeding schedule and types of food?
Do you vacuum the substrate when you do water changes, and to remove any uneaten food?

Can you describe his behavior in the days and hours leading up to this?
Where did you get him, and do you know if he was wild caught or tank raised?

I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but these will be helful to everyone that tries to help with this illness. We have to consider all the contributing factors.

Could you get some more shots of him in the water? I'm sorry he's sick, poor guy.

Really, contagious to humans?
Did you approach the breeder with this problem?

Fish TB can be transmitted to humans, but it doesn't look so much like it in the photos of him in the water. I would still exercise care.

It looks almost like an injury, but the fact that you saw it developing over the course of several days, the orange-ish, pink-ish bump, the points that look like they were coming to the surface like a boil or pimple, and then the missing chunk, that actually appears to be an ulcer, all seems to be more indicative of an infection.

This is probably an aeromonas infection, though we wouldn't be able to know for sure without identification under a microscope. As hobbiests we just have to consider all environmental factors, carefully observe all signs and symptoms, and make a somewhat educated guess.

I've seen several cases here on AC of a pimple or boil surfacing, some never errupting to become a crater or ulcer, some that did become an open ulcer, often with unfortunate culmination in the death of the fish.

I would definitely ask the breeder if he's observed any symptoms of any of his stock.